Perception
by Chibi Spitfire
Summary: Perception: The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses. When Trafalgar Law comes into contact with a woman who has a unique medical condition, he becomes instantly intrigued with the idea of curing her. He makes her an offer she can't refuse, forever changing both their lives in the process. LawxOC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_"Lissy!" _

_A little six-year-old girl whimpered as she sat in her corner, calling out for her older sister in a pathetic manner with her arms wrapped tightly around her own legs. She heard quick steps, ears perking as she turned her head toward the sound, hoping it was her sister and not their father..._

_Gentle hands reached out and hugged Temperance; she recognized the touch as her sister's and slowly relaxed into the embrace, wrapping her own arms around her older sister._

_"Are you okay, Tempy? What's wrong?" Temperance heard the concern laced in Felicity's voice, and gave her older sister a tiny smile.  
_

_Even though she couldn't see her sister's face, she could still remember what her sister had looked like from times before she lost her sight. She knew Felicity had long black curls, big brown eyes, and funnily enough, those who didn't know the young girls would have never realized that they _were_ in fact full-blooded sisters._

_"I-I got scared..." A crack of lightning resounded and Temperance cried out, clinging as tightly as she could to Felicity. _

_The ten-year-old girl merely tightened the hug and began to rub her younger sister's back. "Shh, it's alright... I've got you now. Nothing's ever gonna hurt you, Tempy, not while I'm around. I promise." _

_Temperance never felt as safe as she did whenever her sister was around. If it weren't for Felicity, the little girl didn't know what would happen to her. Felicity took care of all her needs, helped her whenever her blindness made her a burden to others and no matter what, Temperance felt nothing but love from her sister, no condemnation whatsoever. _

_"I'll never leave you, Lissy! Never!" Temperance's voice was filled with happiness, so glad that no matter what she'd always have her sister. After all, they couldn't count on their father for a single thing, not since their mother had died more than two years earlier. _

_Felicity remained silent for the time and Temperance frowned slightly, gently tugging at her sister's sleeve to get her attention. "Lissy?"_

_"Tempy, you can't make promises like that to me." _

_Sightless eyes widened in shock at the statement. "Wh-What? But why?! I mean it, Lissy! I won't ever leave you! Never ever!"_

_"Listen to me, Temperance!" _

_The white-haired girl froze, unsure how to take her sister's current attitude. Felicity never acted like this before, so why..._

_Felicity sighed, hugging her little sister tightly again. "You know how our stupid father won't get you help. Says it's justice that you became blind and that you deserve to stay that way, but he's wrong! And..." Temperance heard Felicity take a deep breath. "I want you to promise me, if the chance ever comes for you to get help for your sight, if you see an opportunity to escape from this life then I want you to take it!" _

_Temperance felt tears come to her eyes, whimpering before shaking her head at the realization of what her sister was saying. "N-NO! I won't! I dun' wanna leave you, Lissy!" Fat tears began to stream down her cheeks and she felt Felicity's hands grip at her shoulders, shaking her._

_"Don't say that!" Felicity's voice cracked, and it was obvious the little girl was trying to keep her emotions in check. "I want you to promise me that the first chance you find at getting help, that you'll leave and never look back!" _

_Temperance continued to shake her head, sniffling as she listened to her sister's words. _

_She heard Felicity shuffle until she felt her sister sitting right by her side. Felicity gently grabbed onto her sister's hand, squeezing gently. "Mama would want you to." _

_Those five words were all it took for the dam to burst, Temperance's tears flowed freely as the six-year-old bawled. _

_In that moment, amidst the tears and sobbing, Temperance made a silent vow, that if she ever had to leave Felicity behind someday, that her sister's sacrifice would never be in vain... _

_The bond between the two sisters was just too great._

* * *

_16 Years Later_

"Temperance!"

A young woman with long snow-white hair tightly gripped a shawl that was draped over her shoulders, smiling warmly as she heard the sound of an all-too familiar voice. The tall, slender beauty turned in place, head cocked to the side so that the one calling for her could see just where she was.

Sightless, bright blue eyes couldn't see a single thing in front of her, but she knew that her older sister was close by.

"I'm right over here, Lissy," She laughed softly at the grumbling of her sister, her footsteps getting close and closer.

"Damn it, how many times have I told you not to call me that? We're not kids anymore! And don't get too far away, I can't look out for you if you're not close by."

The blind girl laughed again as she felt her older sister reach up to ruffle at her hair. It was odd, considering that she was the younger of the two how her older sister was so much shorter than she was. In fact, the drastic differences between the two sisters, both looks and personality-wise were something that the two had learned to bond over, to joke around with one another.

The younger of the two women gave an involuntary shudder as the cries from the nearby battle grew louder and louder, her fingers gripped at the shawl she wore even tighter. "What's going on now?" Her voice came out barely as a whisper as her head turned toward Felicity.

Her ears perked as her older sister snorted. "What do you think? Dear old dad and the rest of the Marines are doing their damndest to see to it that the Whitebeard Pirates lose this fight."

"It's so sad," Temperance murmured softly. "His only crime was being born..." Of course the he that she referred to was Portgas D. Ace, a boy who was only two years younger than she herself was, and he had been sentenced to die all for the fact that he was Gol D. Roger's son.

Felicity sighed. "Yeah, it's not really fair but what could we do about it? Not a damn thing."

It was true, they couldn't do anything useful whatsoever. A fact their father reminded them of daily...

The two young women stood on the deck of a Navy ship that was docked just outside Marineford, both clinging to each other as the sounds of battle and bloodshed wore on.

"Now Whitebeard himself is joining the fight," Felicity's voice was filled with slight awe and it was moments like those that Temperance wished she could have her sight restored so she too could see everything going on around them. To be able to see... A dream that she had given up on long ago.

"Felicity, what-"

Her words were cut off as suddenly the boat, as well as the entire sea rocked and both girls were flung across the ship. Temperance's hand reached out for her sister's and she could feel her sister with her bare fingertips, but she was suddenly flung off the boat, falling into the murky waters outside Marineford.

"Felicity!" She shrieked, flailing and reaching still for her older sister's outstretched hand as she tried to keep herself surfaced above the water.

"TEMPERANCE!"

The white-haired girl managed to kick herself toward the surface of the waves, gasping for air as her head broke through the water. However it was only momentary, as she was soon dragged underneath the waves once again, her sister's voice screaming for her all the while.

She was falling, falling, falling... She knew at the rate she was sinking it was only a matter of time before everything ended for her. Her legs continued to kick against the water but she was a terrible swimmer, always had been and she couldn't force her legs to kick herself back to the surface of the water.

Slowly her consciousness faded into nothing and she felt nothing, not even when her body gently collided with the deck of a yellow submarine.

It seemed a shame that she would die without even seeing the surroundings in which her life would end.

* * *

"Captain!"

Trafalgar Law frowned as he heard the voice of his first mate call for him, turning his head to acknowledge that he had heard Bepo. "What is it?"

"Something's landed on the ship! What do we do, Captain?!"

The captain of the Heart Pirates found his frown deepening and the grip he had on his nodachi tightened slightly. Well, they _were_ right in the heart of the waters of Marineford. What could it hurt to bring the ship above water now to investigate?

"Bring us up, let's take a look at what's going on."

"Aye aye, Captain!"

Law moved toward the stairs, waiting for his crew to bring the sub to surface before stepping out onto the deck of his sub where he found a woman crumpled in a heap right on the middle of said deck. The Surgeon of Death knelt by her side with the rest of the crew surrounding them, leaning his head down to her chest to ascertain how much water was currently in her lungs.

Both his hands gently pressed against her chest in a compression and after another compression, the woman began to cough and hack up any sea water that she had swallowed in her near-drowning.

The woman was completely soaked from head to toe, giving her a drowned rat appearance, but Law still managed to get a good look at the uninvited visitor on his ship, noting that she had long white hair and bright blue eyes. She sat straight up and after Law got a better look, he decided he didn't recognize her whatsoever.

Well now that that was out of the way he could kick her off the sub and be about his merry way.

Suddenly without warning, she placed both her hands against his face, gently tracing his features with her fingers.

This was definitely new to the doctor.

"Wh-Who are you? I don't recognize your face..." She scooted away from Law, finally drawing her hands away from his face and tucking them in her lap as she seemingly stared out into space.

The captain felt a brow slowly arch, reaching a hand out and waving it back and forth in front of the woman's face. Seeing no visible reaction come from her, he made the judgment that this woman was in fact, sightless.

Odd... Even with his extensive medical knowledge about this subject, Law himself hadn't come into much contact with individuals who suffered from a loss of sight.

Not that any of that mattered at this moment in time. His eyes narrowed slightly as he pulled his hand back, standing to his feet to stare down at the woman. "Well shouldn't I be asking that of you, considering you fell on top of _my_ ship?"

She stiffened, fidgeting in place as though debating whether or not to speak honestly to the man whose identity she had no clue about. "I... My name is Temperance. I-I fell off a Navy ship and I've never been able to swim very well with my," She paused, head turning in the direction she had heard Law's voice come from. "With my condition."

"And what condition would that be?" Law knew exactly what she was referring to, but wanted to hear her say it out loud, wanted her to confirm it for him.

Her teeth gently began to bite on her lower lip as she forced herself to say the next words: "M-My blindness."

"Captain," Penguin hissed into Law's ear, tugging his captain back slightly by his arm, effectively ending his captain's inner musings. "What are we supposed to do with her? We can't keep her on the ship if you want to get to Straw Hat!"

"He's right, Captain," Shachi took this opportunity to pipe up even though he couldn't stop himself from blatantly staring at the drenched woman, after all someone would have to be not in their right minds to notice how attractive she was even with her disability.

Law turned on his crew members, narrowing his eyes in the process. "You all should know better than to order me around. _I'll_ be the one to decide just what we're going to do with her."

Penguin, Shachi and the others, with the exception of Bepo and Jean Bart, paled visibly. Their captain ignored them and their rapid apologies and once again knelt at the woman's side, using a finger to gently turn her head toward him. She jumped in place upon feeling the digit touch her, but Law ignored her reaction entirely as he continued to study her.

As a doctor, he was always intrigued by any unique medical anomaly. Now most would say that blindness wasn't an anomaly, but then again he wasn't most people, and slowly the wheels in his mind began to turn at all the possibilities...

"E-Excuse me," She spoke up again, her soft voice holding a bit of nervousness as her fingers began to tug at her skirt. "If you could somehow take me to my father's ship, I would be ever so grateful."

"TEMPY!"

Her head whipped around, freeing herself from Law's grasp upon hearing her sister's voice pierce through the air. Scrambling to her feet, she quickly made her way to the railing on the submarine, her lips curving upwards into a bright smile. "Lissy? Lissy!" So her sister _was_ close by! Now she could find her older sister and then get out of these wet clothes into something warmer.

While Temperance was silently planning all of the things she would do once reunited with her sister, Trafalgar Law was silently planning something of his own. A way to test the limits of his own medical abilities and knowledge.

Gray eyes narrowed slightly and a slow smirk made its way across his face as he casually walked up to the woman, placing a hand to her shoulder. She flinched but still turned around slowly, caution written all over her features.

"May I ask you something about your condition, Miss Temperance?"

Her smile quickly turned into a frown, but she gave a curt nod. "If you must..." The white-haired woman didn't have a good feeling about this.

The triumphant smirk Law wore grew wider and he continued. "What exactly was it that brought this loss of sight on? Is it something you've dealt with since birth?"

She fidgeted in place, not liking this line of questioning one bit, but she still answered. "N-No, I," She paused, taking a deep breath before jerking her head off to the side. "I suffered a terrible fall when I was four years old and the impact of that fall caused my blindness."

Interesting...

"Captain," Penguin hissed, painfully aware of the interest the captain of the Heart Pirates had taken in the girl before them.

Law held a hand up, effectively making Penguin shut his mouth while he debated what to do with her. The fact that her condition wasn't congenital was a good indicator. It appeared that she had suffered a traumatic brain injury from her fall and because of this TBI, she was now blind.

He had never treated someone with this sort of condition, but something in the back of his mind told him it was entirely possible that he could help restore her sight. Just the thought of being able to help restore someone's sight...

Law decided that he _had_ to get her to agree to this, by any means possible.

"Miss Temperance," His voice was smooth, trying to put her at ease as much as he could in the given situation. "I'm not sure if you realize this, but my name is Trafalgar Law. You may or may not have heard of me, but that's not the point here. I'm a doctor, a proficient surgeon actually and I believe I can possibly help you fully restore your sight."

He decided to let this sink in and see whether or not she took the bait.

Temperance froze in place, unable to move or even breathe for that matter. She had let the man named Law say what he had to, but upon hearing that he was not just a doctor, but also a surgeon who claimed he could help her be able to see again, her heart hammered in her chest.

Could it be... Was there really a slight chance of her being able to see again?

She forced herself to swallow, still cautious but very much curious to see if what he was saying was true. "Are you certain of this?"

"Nothing is 100% certain I'm afraid, but I can promise that if you'd permit me to, that I would do everything in my power to make you see once more."

Her fingers began to tug at her skirt as the wheels in her her mind began to move a thousand miles a second. Her excitement grew more and more, oh she just had to tell Felicity! She didn't need her father's permission for this, Trafalgar Law was offering his services to her for free! And...

"In order for me to help you, I'll need you to come with me and my crew as I have no plans on staying here to allow myself to be captured by the Navy. I'm not sure if you realize this or not, but I'm very much a wanted pirate captain."

She deflated right there in that moment, her hopes dashed in the span of a single second. So this doctor was also a notorious pirate... So much for getting help. Temperance released a sigh and slowly felt her lips coil into a weak smile as she tried to find the words to respond with.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid-"

"Tell me something, Miss Temperance," Law could sense she was getting cold feet, about to back out and he couldn't have that, not when this girl had already piqued his interest. He took a step closer, now towering over her. "Has anyone ever offered you what I'm offering you now? Have you ever been given the chance to see if you truly could regain your sight? What's really keeping you back from accepting and coming with me?"

Temperance jumped the moment she sensed that Law was getting too close for her liking, taking a quick step back and biting on her lower lip as she took his words in.

Honestly... She couldn't think of a single thing keeping her back from going with him, other than the fact he was a pirate. Well, there _was_ one other thing keeping her from agreeing... "Could... Could I bring my older sister with me? It's just that, she's my closest friend and I just couldn't even consider leaving her-"

"No." The answer was instantaneous, short and clipped as Law interrupted her. "The last thing I need is to babysit your sister on top of trying to find a way to cure your blindness. The offer stands for you and you alone. Now what will it be, Miss Temperance?"

Her teeth gently began to nibble on her lower lip as she tried to come to a quick decision. What did she do? Did she decline the offer and go back to her miserable existence with her father refusing her help every step of the way? Or did she accept this virtual stranger's offer, leaving everything she knew and cared about behind to see if the slim chance of having her sight restored was possible?

What would Felicity want her to do?

Taking a deep breath, Temperance spoke up again. "If... If I agree to this, you promise you'll do everything you can to help me? And if it turns out you can't help, then you'll bring me right back to my sister? If not, then I'll just turn right around and go about my merry way."

Law's lips coiled into a wide grin, knowing he now had her. "Of course, as a professional I can guarantee I'll do everything within my ability to ensure that I do everything possible to help you, and if you aren't satisfied after a certain period of time then I'll have no problems whatsoever taking you wherever you wish to go."

He draped an arm around her shoulders, turning Temperance away from the sister that was still calling her name.

Her features relaxed and took on a look of relief. Finally! Finally she could possibly get the help she had so desperately hoped to find for more than half her life! But...

She slowly turned against Law's grasp and turned her head back to the ship, her ears still picking up on her sister calling out for her. Her heart broke as she felt the pirate captain forcibly turn her back once again and allowed herself to be ushered into the sub by the members of the crew.

If Felicity knew that this pirate was in fact a doctor who could possibly help restore her sight, she would have told Temperance to go with the man no matter what.

But it didn't help that it hurt more than anything to leave her best friend behind without even getting to say goodbye.

* * *

**And there's the first chapter of Perception! If any of you have read my MarcoxOC story Against the Tide, you may recognize Felicity from that story! And surprise surprise, she and Temperance are sisters! There is definitely more to be seen from Temperance and Law so stay tuned if you want to see more! Also feel free to let me know if you feel I'm not keeping Law in character. I absolutely adore him and would hate if I got his character wrong in my writings.  
**

**Now I'm no expert in traumatic brain injuries, but I've taken a couple anatomy and physiology classes and we discussed in some detail about neurology. TBI's can indeed cause blindness, mainly cortical blindness, which is what Temperance suffers from. Cortical blindness caused from a TBI can be treated depending on the severity, but for storyline purposes I'm not going to have Law go about the normal way of restoring her sight right away. **

**In this story, it will take some time for Law to be able to find a treatment to help Temperance and I haven't determined yet if he even will be able to help restore her sight. You'll just have to wait and see what happens my ducklings~. All will be revealed with time, even how Temperance came to lose her sight.  
**

**The picture used in the cover is indeed of Temperance which was drawn by a good friend of mine on deviantart, that is how her Heart Pirates uniform will look and how she looks in general. **

**Sooo what did you all think? Loved it? Hated it? Feel free to let me know in a review if you ducklings wish~! **


	2. Chapter 2

**YAY! Here we are at the second chapter! Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews and also for favoriting/following! It means so much to me to see such an interest with just the first chapter! I can only hope that the interest keeps up!**

**BatmanSwim2016- *blush* Thank you so much duckling! I'm so glad you liked the first chapter! I don't think I'm that great a writer to be honest, but to see you think so makes me so happy, so thank you again~ :D **

**Sarah132cs- You got that right, Law is definitely the kind of person that when he sees something that interests him he has to have it and doesn't take no for an answer. *laughs* Thank you for the lovely review duckling~**

**Guest: Pharoah999- I agree, Law is definitely a whole lot more different than Marco is, but then again Temperance and Felicity may be sisters but personality wise they're very different and I think you'll see that very soon. So the romance may take a little while longer with Law and Temperance but eventually there will be plenty of romance. I'm super happy to hear you like it duckling~! **

**I Love My Chewbacca Family- Thank you duckling! I'm really glad you enjoyed the first chapter and hope you keep reading and enjoying! :D I'm hoping to be able to update soonish but that depends on my work schedule, how much inspiration I get and such. **

**iiILurvePancakesii- Oh yes they'll definitely see each other again and it will be a sweet awesome reunion! :D Their reunion will be first seen in Against the Tide because the two stories will overlap with one another in some parts.**

**Guest: Queen- Thank you so much duckling! The beginning is supposed to make readers worry a bit, especially since she's accepted the help of Law, who doesn't exactly come across as trustworthy pre-timeskip. At least in my opinion he doesn't. **

**Slurp Derp- Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy as I post more Law and Temperance, there's a lot that I'm hoping to cover, it's just getting Law's personality just right that's the tricky part.**

**sam-free15- Hehehe me too~ Poor Tempy has no idea just what she's in for. *evil laughter***

**Lollipops For Everyone- (First off, love the pen name!) Thank you so much for all of your lovely words, I'm going dizzy from happiness at all the compliments you're giving me. I do hope you'll enjoy future chapters of this story, once I get Law's personality just right that is. *laughs***

* * *

Chapter 2

Temperance felt something being shoved in her arms, sightless eyes blinking as she felt of the material. It was soft and she could also feel buttons and a zipper, so more than likely it was clothing of some kind.

"That's our uniform, everyone on board the sub wears one so you'll need to wear one as well. It might be a bit big, but it's the smallest size we have."

Blue eyes blinked once again, unsure how she felt about the idea of wearing a uniform but she supposed she didn't have much say in the matter...

Especially where Trafalgar Law was concerned. She had only known the pirate captain for a few minutes, but already she could tell that he was exactly the sort of man who didn't take no for an answer, no matter what.

"I see," she murmured before lips curved upwards into a soft smile. "Thank you, if you could direct me to a room to change into, I'd be very grateful."

"Sure, right this way."

Temperance's ears perked upon hearing steps head down a long hall, she in turn following quickly behind the male whose voice she recognized as belonging to the man called Penguin.

Before they got very far, the sub began to rock violently and Temperance was thrown across the floor. It wasn't long before Penguin was leaning down and helping Temperance back to her feet once more.

"Wh-What's going on?" she managed to ask as she settled herself on shaking legs.

"We're surfacing," was Penguin's clipped response. "Captain's going to find Strawhat Luffy, but that's about all I know myself."

Blue orbs blinked at the mention of the captain of the Strawhat Pirates. Monkey D. Luffy...

Suddenly there was a loud clamor from within the sub as Temperance distinctly felt dozens of footsteps running down the long hall, members of the crew quickly rushing past her. Her ears picked up the sound of wheels, the cries and commands to prepare the operating room for two different individuals. She even heard Penguin's voice as he quickly left her side to help the other crew members with the surgical procedures.

She could feel her curiosity getting the better of her, fingers clutching the material still in her hands as she took a small step toward the place where she assumed the operating room to be.

A hand tightly grasping her elbow put a stop to those movements.

"And just where do you think you're going, Miss Temperance?" The cool sultry voice of Trafalgar Law murmured lowly into her ear.

Temperance stiffened, a cold sweat breaking out as she tried to find the words to respond with. "I... I was just-"

He broke in without waiting for her response. "You may find a room to change into behind you, two doors over on the left. The operation area is strictly off-limits to you, do I make myself clear?"

Temperance managed to force a swallow, nodding her head quickly as Law turned her form in the direction he had mentioned. "Y-Yes..."

"Good," he chuckled darkly. "This is a delicate surgery that I'm about to perform on not one, but two individuals and I don't need any unnecessary distractions." Gray eyes watched as the slender woman gave a stiff nod before making her way to the left side of the sub, a pale hand feeling for the first door, and then the second. Upon finding the door, she quickly opened it and slipped inside.

The famed surgeon couldn't help but watch the sightless girl's movements with a sense of sadistic glee, especially at the knowledge that he would one day be able to operate on her. Miss Temperance seemed to be such a delicate soft creature... Would her blood be just as delicate as she herself was?

"Captain! We're ready for you!"

Ah, but there would be plenty of time to think about the ways he could cure the white-haired girl, for now both Jinbe and Strawhat needed his full and undivided attention. A slow grin making its way across his face, Law turned and reached for the gloves offered to him. "This should be a fun surgery, shouldn't it?"

* * *

Temperance had managed to clumsily put the one-piece uniform on, quickly padding her hands over the material to ensure that she had indeed buttoned all the buttons and zipped everything up. The first thing she determined was that the uniform was a bit snug in some areas and bigger in others, but she could still easily move around in it. The only thing missing...

Her sock-clad toes curled against the cold submarine floor and Temperance found herself wishing that she had been given shoes of some kind, especially considering she had lost her own shoes during her near-fatal drowning.

She felt her heart clench slightly in her chest at the mere thought of the circumstances which had brought her to Trafalgar Law's submarine and her fingers curled at her sides. She was trying her hardest to stay strong, this was what Felicity would have wanted after all. But even though she had only been aboard the sub for a short amount of time, she couldn't stop the sense of dread that filled her very being.

Temperance tried to shake the doubts away, her hand reached for the direction she knew the knob to the door to be, opening the door slowly as she stepped out into the hallway. She couldn't make out any distinctive noises, but all too suddenly, the submarine began to shake and blue orbs widened, Temperance pressing herself flat against the wall in an attempt to keep from falling over.

Even though she couldn't see, she knew that something was happening, and whatever it was, it wasn't good.

This pattern of being jostled about lasted for some time, but as quickly as it all began, it suddenly stopped and the ship began to sail smoothly against the ocean's waters. Temperance blinked and slowly pushed herself off the wall, breathing a sigh of relief as all seemed to be calm once again.

This was going to take some getting used to.

Now, what to do? She couldn't stand to just do nothing, but what could she possibly do to pass the time until Trafalgar Law called for her? She highly doubted the doctor had books written in braille, and from what she could gather, everything was deathly silent on board the sub. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to calm her nerves and attempted to rid herself of the ominous feeling that filled her being.

She just had to try and find something to occupy her time, just until the captain called for her once again. Slowly, her hands moved to the wall, and Temperance began a trek in order to become more accustomed to her new surroundings. Fingers deftly moved over every nook and cranny that she could find, her mind registering and storing the knowledge to be used at a later date.

So far she had managed to find several doors, but what they all led to Temperance wasn't exactly sure. Better to discover that later on than to find out now and possibly incur the captain's wrath.

How long she had been doing this, she wasn't even sure anymore. As she began to ponder this, the ground suddenly began to tremble beneath her feet and her hands instantly stopped moving.

The moment her hands stopped was when she was bowled over and knocked off her feet. She grunted and instantly braced herself for the impact of the hard sub floor.

"Ah! Are you alright, Temperance?"

That voice belonged to the one called Bepo if she recalled correctly. "I'll be alright, I've had worse than this before." Temperance offered a weak smile as she moved to her hands and knees, bracing her hands against the wall of the ship in order to stand to her feet once more.

"Let me help you!"

Before Temperance could say otherwise, she felt furry hands gently grasping onto her own hands, blinking at the sensation she felt. Once on her feet, Temperance immediately lifted her hands and moved them to Bepo's face, a gasp escaping at feeling more fur. No way... There was just no way this was normal human hair.

Gently nibbling on her lower lip, she got the nerve to ask her burning question. "You're not human, are you?"

"Wh-What's that supposed to mean?! I'll have you know I'm the second in command here!"

Temperance froze in place before lifting her hands in defense. "I was just making an observation! I meant no harm by it, honest!"

Bepo instantly hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry..."

Blue eyes blinked owlishly at the apology and Temperance was unable to help but laugh lightly. She reached a hand up and gently pat the top of the bear's head before speaking again. "Why on earth are you sorry?" Oh his fur was so soft... Temperance couldn't help but continue to pat and rub at the top of Bepo's head, giggling as the bear let out a low rumble of a moan.

"That's nice... Oh yeah, I almost forgot!"

Temperance took a step back as Bepo suddenly shouted, eyes widening a fraction as she felt him grab onto her wrist and begin to drag her along. "Wh-Where are you taking me?"

"Up! It's too hot down here, so we're bringing the ship up so I can get air and cool down!"

Just how far below the ocean's surface had they gotten?

Before she could ask this very question, she heard the door open and Bepo released her and rushed up the stairs.

"Ah! Finally some fresh air!"

The slender girl shivered upon feeling the air hit her face, arms moving to wrap around her form. The boat was gently rocking back and forth Suddenly, a new sound hit her eardrums, a low hissing that could have only been one sound that she was familiar with. The slender girl froze in place before taking a small step back. "B-Bepo?"

"Looks clear over here... And over there too! And there's a snake..."

"Snake?!" Temperance shrieked and took quick steps backwards until her back hit the side of the sub. There were definitely downsides to her blindness, such as not being able to properly flee from things she couldn't even see. Yes, she could hear the snake clearly, but hearing was not the same as seeing...

Yet another reason why she was so desperate to get her vision back.

"And who is she? Is she one of Luffy's admirers?!"

Temperance blinked at the accusation, more than likely directed at her since she wasn't aware of any other female crew members. "E-Excuse me, but I'm not-"

"She's a new member of my crew."

Relief flooded Temperance upon hearing the familiar voice of Trafalgar Law, even though she actually didn't consider herself a true member of his crew. But then another unfamiliar voice interrupted her inner musings.

"J-Johanna? Is that you, Johanna?"

Temperance froze. Who was this, and how did this person know the name of her long-deceased mother?

* * *

**So how may of you want to kill me for making you wait so long for this? LOL I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long to get out, but I'm finding it hard to get Law's pre-timeskip personality just right and it's frustrating me. I keep going back and watching all the pre-timeskip episodes with Law, but I still have a hard time with it. Gah! Bad Law! Why do you have to be so sneaky and sexy and irresistible?! *licks my computer screen* **

**...You duckies did not just see me do that... *shifty eyes* **

**In other news, are any of you ducklings keeping up with the manga chapters?! HOLY BLEEP! What we've seen from Law's past is making me want to cry so much, but I'm finding it's finally given me a bit of inspiration for where I want to take the story! :D Let's hope I can keep this up now! LOL **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank each and every one of you ducklings for the lovely reviews and also for favoriting/following!**

**BatmanSwim2016- Yes! Finally an update after so long, I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm so glad you liked it! :D **

**Lucy Jacob- Fear not duckling! I do plan on continuing, and hopefully future updates won't be as long as the last update took! *cries* The manga is getting intense! Ahhhh! POOR TRAFALGAR D WATER LAW! I need more Law now! **

**I Love My Chewbacca Family- YAY FOR SCREAMING! LOL! I hope you didn't damage your vocal chords but I'm so happy you enjoyed the new chapter! :D **

**sam-free15- It only keeps getting juicier here on out! ;) **

**Guest: meowi3- Wow really? I'm so glad that you think the two stories flow that well together! I was really hoping for that, that those who would read the two stories would read them like that! **

**Tenshi Amaya- Thank you so much! I'm so happy to hear you think I'm doing fine with Law, and it makes me especially happy to hear you like Temperance. ^^**

**Hey look! An update and it's been less than 6 months! LOL I'm not entirely satisfied with how this chapter turned out, but I hope you all will enjoy it nonetheless. **

* * *

Chapter 3

"Incredible," Jinbe murmured as he stared at the young woman before him. "You look so much like your mother."

Temperance's lips curved down into a slow frown. "Yes, I've been told this before." She really was trying hard not to be rude, but she had been told this more times than she could count. She supposed she should have been honored that she looked so much like the late mother she loved so much, but to be perfectly honest, it was more of a bother than a compliment.

From what she could remember of her mother, Johanna had been a petite woman with long, curly, white hair, crystal-blue eyes much like her own, with a beautiful smile and a small beauty mark under her left eye. She had been admired by many and it hadn't been hard to see why.

Though she would much rather have had her sister's plainer looks if it meant she could see.

Quickly Temperance shook those bitter thoughts away and managed a weak smile. "You still haven't told me how you knew my mother. Were you and she close?"

Her father had seen to it that she and Felicity knew next to nothing about their late mother, but if this Shichibukai actually had some kind of friendship with her mother, then perhaps...

She could hear Jinbe grunt before he responded to her question. "She was one of the few humans that I greatly respected, one that was greatly admired among her peers."

A shiver went up Temperance's spine as she subconsciously leaned the tiniest bit forward, a warm, real smile making its way across her face. "Really?"

"Oh yes," Jinbe's voice appeared to soften, as though remembering better times. "Johanna wanted nothing more than to be known as the greatest adventurer the Grand Line had ever seen."

Temperance stiffened at this piece of information. Her mother, the petite, spunky, loving wife and mother had aspired to be a great adventurer?

"I can see the doubt written all over your face, young one."

Temperance immediately felt a blush creep across her face. "I-I didn't mean-"

"It's alright, I don't know much of Johanna's life after her retirement. Although when I heard just who she married, I had to admit I was shocked. After all, your father and mother seem to be complete polar opposites of one another."

That was an understatement. Temperance's lips once again curled into a frown as she thought of her always cheerful mother and then thought of her father, who only seemed capable of instilling such fear into the hearts of both she and her older sister.

Though he hadn't always been like that from what she remembered of her childhood...

"Your mother actually went on many adventures of her own and was very well-known for those adventures."

Temperance whipped her head around, her mouth slightly open at this bit of news. So not only had her mother dreamed of being an adventurer, but she had actually attempted to accomplish this goal?

"R-Really?" Wait, did Felicity know about any of this? Or her father for that matter? Surely he had, why else would he forbid both she and Felicity from asking any questions about their late mother? "C-Can you tell me more of my mother?"

She hated to sound so desperate, but she just had to know more if at all possible! She didn't know when the next opportunity would arise to get information like this about her late mother, so she had to take advantage of the situation while she could.

"Well..."

"Ah, here you are, Miss Temperance. I need you to come with me now."

The white-haired young woman froze in place upon hearing the familiar, smooth voice of Trafalgar Law. No no no! She wasn't ready to stop hearing about her mother, she had to know more!

Softly clearing her throat, she managed somehow to find her voice. "D-Do I need to go right now, Captain? I was having a pleasant conversation with Jinbe, and I thought..." The sentence trailed off the moment Temperance felt a firm grasp on her shoulder, fingers digging firmly. A silent warning.

"I won't repeat myself, Miss Temperance. You need to come with me so that I can explain how things work within my ship and crew."

She felt her heart suddenly begin to palpitate at a thousand beats a second, her fingers curling in her lap as she fought the urge to bolt. No, she couldn't do that anymore. Felicity wasn't there to protect her from the big bad people that lay in wait, Temperance had to learn how to take care of herself now.

But that didn't mean she couldn't be scared witless, right?

Trafalgar Law had first come across as so kind, so caring when he had offered his help, but in such a short amount of time that had changed. Her gut now told her that this man was not all that he had first appeared to seem.

And yet...

"Yes, Captain," she managed to breathe out, somehow standing on shaking legs before placing a hand upon one of the steel walls of the submarine. "I apologize, Jinbe. Perhaps we can continue our conversation another time?"

"Ah, of course, young one. Just come to me whenever you have time."

Temperance offered a soft smile, completely unaware of the stares Law and Jinbe gave to one another as she felt along the wall to perceive just where she was. There was the dent in the wall she had felt earlier that day, so that meant... Three steps forward, there were the stairs.

Six steps downward and she was once again on firm ground. There! She could do this! She could handle this by herself! And once she gained her sight back, Felicity would be so proud of her for being able to handle all of this on her own!

She'd be able to go back for Lissy, and then she and her sister could finally run away together and live the lives they'd always wanted. Away from their father. It was going to all be so perfect once Temperance was able to see again...

A firm grasp on her elbow quickly brought her back to reality. "Need I remind you just whose ship you are on, Miss Temperance?"

"O-Of course not, C-Capt-" She winced as his grip tightened and she was tugged forcefully.

"Good. See to it that you remember just why exactly you're here. You're here so that I can try and restore your sight, not so that you can hear stories about your family members."

"But-"

His grip tightened once more and Temperance almost fell to her knees, biting her lip to keep from crying out. "Do I make myself clear?" He released her only when she furiously nodded her head.

"Good," he gave a dark chuckle before letting fingers run through her long white strands. "Now let's hope you can remember this. You do seem to be a bright girl after all."

Temperance waited until she heard his steps clack in the opposite direction before she sunk to the floor and pressed her back to one of the walls, slowly pulling her knees to her chest as silent tears fell down her cheeks.

Be strong.

She could do this.

It was what her mother and sister would want her to do.

If this man, this doctor, was truly capable of healing sight, then Temperance could handle his difficult temperament for a long period of time. No matter what it took and what she may have to put up with, she _was_ going to see again.

* * *

Temperance had never once imagined that she would someday find herself in the fabled land of Amazon Lily. And if anything, it reminded her so much of her dear late mother.

Johanna had always instilled in both of her daughters a love of reading and a love for grand stories, but Temperance had never once imagined she'd be able to experience the same places her mother had spoken so lovingly about. She couldn't wait to tell Felicity about this, about actually coming to this place!

"You should be careful out here, Miss Temperance. Especially considering your condition."

Blue eyes blinked before tilting her head just slightly in the direction she had heard Law's voice come from. "And why is that, Captain Trafalgar?" Something told her the man had smirked after hearing her ask her question.

"Because if you don't watch yourself," the pirate was at her side before Temperance even knew what had happened, sliding an arm around her waist and tugging her back with him. "You might just get hurt."

At that moment, Temperance heard something whiz right by her head and suddenly found herself frozen in place, unable to move a muscle. "Wha... What-"

"It would seem the natives of Amazon Lily aren't too fond of us being here."

The young woman forced herself to swallow. So it really was true that the women despised men with a passion...

"Is that a woman?"

"What's she doing with those men?!"

"We may need to rescue the poor thing!"

Wait, were the women talking about her?

"It would seem that they are indeed talking about you, Miss Temperance."

And she hadn't realized she had voiced her question out loud. Damn.

Feeling her cheeks warm up, she began to struggle against Law's grasp on her form, gritting her teeth as she heard a dark chuckle. "L-Let me go!" Finally with a last shove, she felt his arms release her and wound up landing face first on the deck of the Heart Pirate's sub.

"No harm is to come to this crew! Luffy is on the ship!"

And it seemed that the Pirate Empress' obsession with the Straw Hat captain knew no limits. It was all so interesting to Temperance, but rather than risk her life anymore by asking any questions, she would rather stay right where she was on the deck. She was getting used to it the longer she lay there, really she was!

"If I were you, Miss Temperance," the white-haired woman froze upon hearing a low voice murmuring into her ear. "I would go inside the sub and wait for me to give you the okay to come out."

"B-But, Captain-"

"That wasn't a request. Get inside the ship now, Miss Temperance. You'll hardly be of any use to me should you get yourself injured."

She forced herself to swallow, nodding her head once before shakily standing to her feet before feeling her way to the door that would lead to the inside of the submarine.

And so, Temperance was forced to stay with the Heart Pirate crew at the Gulf of the Island of Women while Luffy recovered from his wounds. She always made sure to visit the injured boy daily, gently patting his head and telling him of the day's events. All the while, she prayed in her heart that he would awaken soon, though at the rate he was going...

No, she refused to believe he wouldn't make it, he was just too strong to not survive! Law had said that his injuries were healing, but that it was up to Luffy whether or not he had the will to live.

It happened one day when Temperance was doing just this, taking a seat by Luffy's bed. She smiled weakly though she knew the boy wouldn't be able to see it. "It's been several days since we first made it to Amazon Lily... The women here are so worried for you, and to be perfectly honest I'm worried for you as well."

She gently placed a hand over one of his bandaged ones. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, trying her hardest not to choke up. "You don't deserve to suffer like this. What happened to your brother... I couldn't imagine losing my older sister like that."

She and Felicity had always had such a close bond, especially after their mother had died. It had been strained for some time a few years earlier due to Temperance's own selfish behavior, but since hashing out their differences, they were now closer than they ever had been.

If she had to watch her sister die before her eyes, be unable to lift a finger to stop it...

That would be the only instance in which she could be grateful for being unable to see.

Before she could stop herself, tears began to fall down her cheeks, a few droplets hitting Luffy's fingers. "I-I'm sorry, let me go get a towel to wipe those away." She turned and stood out of the chair, gently placing her hands on nearby countertops, feeling around for any sign of something that would help dry Luffy's bandages.

"Mm..."

She froze at the sound, slowly turning back around with slight trepidation. "L-Luffy?"

"Ace?" His voice was so hoarse, cracked and weak.

He was awake?! Oh this was wonderful! She had to find someone! Law, or Penguin or Shachi!

"Where's Ace?"

Temperance stopped mid-step at the question, forcing herself to swallow. "Luffy..." Did he not remember... What had happened at Marineford?

"ACEEEEE! WHERE'S ACE?!"

Suddenly the ship began to rock, the sounds from the machinery going off at an alarming rate. Temperance felt herself being flung across the ship, crying out in pain as her back collided with something hard.

"ACEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

She groaned and got to her hands and knees, trying her hardest not to lose consciousness herself. No, she had to stop him! Law had said it himself, if he reopened his wounds...

Temperance managed to stand to her feet, shakily following the boy out of the ship. "Luffy! Wait, please Luffy!" She had to find a way to stop him from doing anymore harm to himself!

But how exactly was she going to do that when she couldn't even see to find her way onto the island?

* * *

**For those of you who also follow the sister story to Perception, Against the Tide, you may recognize the mention of Temperance's mother Johanna and we will be seeing more of Johanna and Temperance's relationship in this story as well so look forward to that. **

**These first few chapters will mainly be told from Temperance's point of view, but we'll get to Law's point of view very soon, don't you worry my ducklings. ^^ This whole Amazon Lilly arc has been a pain to write out. *grumbles* I'm ready to get it over with so I can start on MY own stuff. *evil grin* Thankfully in the next chapter or two I should be done with AL and will hopefully begin to show more of my own storyline.**

**So I've decided to try that I'm going to try and update this story more often starting within the next few weeks so long as I'm not hit with crushing writer's block! Yay for more Lawrance! (LawxTemperance) :D**

**And holy bleep! :O Corazon! Ahhhhh! My heart keeps getting ripped out each time I see his goofy self! WHY ODA? WHYYYYYYYYYY? *cries* I hate you Dofy! How could you do that to your own brother?! I hope you kick his butt Lawsy! KICK IT GOOD! **


End file.
